MV 6 Snippet 5

 Last one.

This one I saved for last. It is in the Engineering Universe and well, introduces someone new to the mix.

A New Addition to the Family

Antigua, Capital of theFederation

 

Theair car was a 911 sports model, red with a black interior. It was about twentyyears old and drew the eyes of everyone around it. The pilot, Daryl Struckerwas a kid fresh out of high school and training to be an air mechanic. He hadbeen told to take the air car out for a spin about two kilometers out and thenback.

Hehad taken it out and monitored the computer hooked up to the air car computer.When nothing showed up in the diagnostics, he decided to open it up and have alittle fun. Obviously, the owner thought the knocking sound was somethingimportant but it was probably jitters Or something that had been sucked intothe intake and then blown out.

Hewas thrown back into his seat as the jet turbines spooled up to their maximumpower. He let out a gasp of thrill and hung on for dear life.

Whathe failed to appreciate was the sudden kick as a fitting let go and one engineon the passenger side went offline. The computer didn’t compensate in time andthe sudden loss in lift made the airframe roll.

Invertedhe scrambled to right the craft but he was less than two hundred meters off theground, far too low to be pulling stunts like a full afterburner run. The aircar had lost lift and the inverted frame actually changed its aerodynamics tosend it hurtling into the ground.

Rightinto the middle of a residential neighborhood.

Darylmanaged to scream and yank back on the stick in an attempt to correct.

Itwas the wrong move. The air car skipped off the pavement on the road, through afence and then right through the living room window at 2294 Palm Olive Drive.

Thecrash and hydrogen fire killed the pilot and the family who had just gone downfor a nap.

Firefightersarrived on the scene within minutes. A pump truck managed to stay aloft anddump it’s foam onto the fire before it was forced to land and switch to thefire hydrant and straight water.

Thefoam had done its job though, smothering the fire and depriving it of oxygen.The rest was beaten down by the drenching of water.

Rescuepersonnel had suited up and busted into the home. They were appalled to seehalf melted toys and a couple of plastic highchairs. They went room to room andfound the body of the mother cat under a blanket. There were no signs of lifeinitially.

Whenthey heard a mew, they turned back and looked. Hands pulled the body aside tofind three kittens: two male, one female. The female was alive and scared.

Thekitten was carried out to an ambulance. They put her on oxygen as the policeofficer and supervisor taped off the area and dealt with the media and neighbors.A full investigation would begin right away.

Asad looking social worker arrived. She had read the file on the ride in andfound the kitten with the paramedic. “That was fast,” the paramedic said.

“I’mabout to go on vacation,” she said. “I was actually on my way home when I gotthe call. The boss said someone else will follow up.”

“Oh.”

“So,this is Ember?” the woman said as she examined the terrified kitten. The kittenhunched up in a defensive ball.

“Ember?That’s … ironic?” the paramedic said.

“Why?”the woman asked. “What’s wrong with the name Ember?”

Theparamedic pointed a free hand back to the house.

Thesocial worker looked past the fire truck to the still smoldering house. “Oh,”she said simply.

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